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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Michigan

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Michigan (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Michigan the order reads MI Registered Agent.org ($199), Michigan Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). MI Registered Agent.org posts the top score: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Michigan, agent renewing at $99.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Top pick on this page

1. MI Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Michigan

9.6 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

MI Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 plus the state fee and a year of resident agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

It pulls ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one resident agent service included

Strengths

  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Includes the first resident agent year
  • A $199 service fee before the state's

Watch for

  • Limited to Michigan; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. MI Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best for a Michigan-only company

2. Michigan Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Michigan only

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Michigan Registered Agent.co takes second spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of resident agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, MI Registered Agent.org and Michigan Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one resident agent service included

Strengths

  • Year one as your resident agent is included
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first
  • $199 to register, state fee extra

Watch for

  • Limited to Michigan; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Michigan Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 One price, any state

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($249 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing takes third spot: it files the Michigan registration for $199 and acts as your resident agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

MI Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than MI Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 MI Registered Agent.org 9.6 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit MI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Michigan Registered Agent.co 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Michigan Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing 8.9 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The marks out of 10 come from our editors and follow the weights on How we rank; none of them is a customer rating.

Michigan foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
MI Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Michigan Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Michigan's $50 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

Points here: 25% for cost across three years, 25% for coverage of the price and 50% across renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity. Michigan came down to cost across three years.

MI Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Michigan: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Michigan (for foreign limited liability companies) (Form CSCL/CD 760) to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division, with a $50 state fee. Michigan additionally requires certificate of good standing, dated no more than 30 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual statement ($25), due February 15.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of good standing, issued no earlier than 30 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state resident agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $50, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual statement and its $25 fee.

The price of ignoring Michigan registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Michigan courts until it registers (MCL 450.5007(1)). Its contracts remain valid (MCL 450.5007(3)).

Michigan foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Michigan make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Michigan?

Expect $50 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Michigan?

The form goes to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Michigan filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of good standing, no older than 30 days.

Does a registered company still need a resident agent?

Yes, a resident agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Michigan?

MI Registered Agent.org, since the Michigan registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Related pages

Where the figures come from

  1. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, as of August 2026
  2. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, as of August 2026
  3. Michigan report due date, as of August 2026
  4. MCL 450.4202, as of August 2026
  5. Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of September 2026
  6. Michigan formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of September 2026
  7. Michigan registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  8. LARA limited liability company forms, as of October 2026
  9. MCL 450.5002, certificate of authority, as of October 2026
  10. MCL 450.5008, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  11. MCL 450.5007, consequences of transacting business without a certificate, as of October 2026
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for MI Registered Agent.org
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Michigan Registered Agent.co
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: Michigan service page for Mainstay Filing